The present invention relates to a digital mixer having a channel selection function.
Audio digital mixers have been known, in which audio signals of a plurality of channels are introduced into input channel signal processing sections of a plurality of channels, and in which digital mixing is performed among signals processed by the signal processing sections so that the mixed signals are output via output channel signal processing sections of a plurality of channels.
In the digital mixing, signal processing parameters are controlled, in each of the input channel signal processing sections and output channel processing sections, in order to control signal processing characteristics.
The user can edit parameters by calling up an editing screen of given signal processing on a display. On the editing screen, a given channel is made a channel to be subjected to editing (i.e., “editing channel”), and a plurality of parameters of the editing channel are displayed on the display. The user can change the editing channel, as desired, by operating a predetermined select switch provided on a control panel. Also, the user can change any of parameter values of the editing channel by operating a numerical value setting operator provided on the control panel.
In some cases, respective values, of a given parameter, in a plurality of channels are displayed on the editing screen, and a cursor is also displayed in relation to the parameter value in a given one of the channels. The user can change the editing channel, as desired, by operating the above-mentioned select switch to move the cursor to the parameter value of another one of the channels. Also, the user can change the parameter value of the editing channel by operating the numerical value setting operator.
Further, in some cases, a selected channel section (or selected channel control section) is provided on the control panel. By operating a predetermined operator provided in the selected channel section, the user can change the value of the parameter corresponding to the predetermined operator. Here, a desired editing channel, for which the parameter value is to be changed via the selected channel section, can be designated via the select switch.
A plurality of channel strips are also provided on the control panel, and each of the channel strips includes the above-mentioned select switch and other operators, such as a fader and rotary operator. The channel strips correspond to the channels on a one-to-one basis in some case. Normally, however, switches for selecting a desired layer (i.e., channel layer) are provided on the control panel so that signals of N (N represents an integral number) channels greater in number than the number M of the channel strips can be processed; namely, in this case, channels assigned to the channel strips can be changed by the user switching between the layers.
During operation for setting parameters in the above-described digital mixers, parameters of various signal processing characteristics, such as “equalizer” and “compressor”, are sometimes adjusted sequentially for some selected ones of the channels (i.e., focusing on the selected channels). In such a case, operation for changing the editing channel to another one of the plurality of channels has to be repeated each time the parameter to be adjusted is switched to another parameter, and thus, the necessary operation by the user tends to be very cumbersome. Particularly, in digital mixers having great many channel strips and layers, it would take a long time for the user to find the right select switch for selecting a desired channel, which results in poor operability or usability of the digital mixer.
One example of the digital mixers is disclosed in “DM2000 Instruction Manual” published by Yamaha Corporation, which is available online from the Internet(URL:http://www2.yamaha.co.jp/manual/pdf/pa/japan/mixers/DM2000J.pdf>).